Greil Marcus' desert island selections - c. 1979

[MK]

Pulled this off of acclaimedmusic.net, pretty interesting list. Lots of punk, post-punk and new wave missing, except for the Clash, Pistols, etc.:

In 1979, Greil Marcus edited an anthology titled STRANDED, in which most of the era's leading rock critics picked the album they would take to the proverbial desert island. At the end of the book, Marcus himself, instead of selecting one entry, presented a personal discography of rock's first 25 years that he called "Treasure Island". I transcribed the list, dividing it into albums and singles, and sent it to Henrik, who plans to incorporate it into the Acclaimed Music database at some point post-genre expansion; in the meantime, he asked me to post it here in the Forum. Here is the list of albums; it's long, but fascinating. (The book is out of print, but it's worth tracking down for the essays and for Marcus' pithy annotations in the discography, such as calling The Stooges' debut "The sound of Chuck Berry's Airmobile - after thieves stripped it for parts.")

GREIL MARCUS’ TREASURE ISLAND: ALBUMS

* = compilation

Johnny Ace
Again … Johnny Sings*

Adverts
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts

Allman Brothers Band
Eat a Peach

Animals
Best of the Animals*

Band
Music from Big Pink
The Band
Rock of Ages

Beach Boys
Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 2 (1967)*
Beach Boys’ Party (1965)
Wild Honey (1967)

Beatles
Live! At the Star Club
Please Please Me
With the Beatles
A Hard Day’s Night
Beatles for Sale
Rubber Soul
Revolver
The Beatles

Belmonts
Cigars, Acapella, Candy (1972)

Chuck Berry
More Chuck Berry (1960)*

Richard Berry
Richard Berry and the Dreamers*

Big Youth
Screaming Target (1973)

Bobby “Blue” Bland
Two Steps from the Blues

Blondie
Blondie

Gary “U.S.” Bonds
Greatest Hits*

Boston
Don’t Look Back

David Bowie
Hunky Dory
Pin-Ups

James Brown
Live at the Apollo / Live at the Apollo, Vol. 2

Roy Brown
Good Rocking Tonight*

Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield (1973)*

Burning Spear
Garvey’s Ghost

Byrds
Mr. Tambourine Man
Turn! Turn! Turn!
The Notorious Byrd Brothers

John Cale
Vintage Violence (1970)

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
Mirror Man (1965/rel. 1973)
Trout Mask Replica

Chantels
The Chantels (1959)

Ray Charles
The Ray Charles Story, Vol. One*
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul (1963)
A 25th Anniversary in Show Business Salute to Ray Charles*

Chi-Lites
Greatest Hits*

Clash
The Clash

Jimmy Cliff
The Harder They Come

Clovers
Their Greatest Recordings - The Early Years*

Coasters
Their Greatest Recordings - The Early Years*

Sam Cooke
The Best of Sam Cooke*

Elvis Costello
My Aim is True
This Year’s Model

Cream
Fresh Cream

Creedence Clearwater Revival
Green River
Willy and the Poor Boys

Crystals
The Crystals Sing Their Greatest Hits*

Derek and the Dominos
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

Bo Diddley
Got My Own Bag of Tricks (1972)*

Dion and the Belmonts
Everything You Always Wanted to Hear by Dion and the Belmonts … But Couldn’t Get!*

Fats Domino
Legendary Masters*

Dominoes
The Dominoes Featuring Clyde McPhatter*

Donovan
Sunshine Superman

Doors
The Doors

Drifters
Their Greatest Recordings - The Early Years*
Golden Hits*

Bob Dylan
Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61 Revisited
Blonde on Blonde
The Royal Albert Hall Concert [bootleg - Henrik, obviously this should be added to Live 1966’s total]
The Basement Tapes
John Wesley Harding
Blood on the Tracks

Everly Brothers
Original Greatest Hits*

Fairport Convention
Fairport Chronicles*

Bryan Ferry
“These Foolish Things”
The Bride Stripped Bare (1978)

Sonny Fisher and the Rocking Boys
Texas Rockabilly (1979)*

Five Keys
The Five Keys*

“5” Royales
Dedicated to You (1958)

Fleetwood Mac
Greatest Hits (1971)*
Fleetwood Mac
Rumours

Fleetwoods
Greatest Hits*

Frankie Ford
Let’s Take a Sea Cruise With Frankie Ford (1960)

Four Tops
Greatest Hits*

Aretha Franklin
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha’s Gold (1969)*

Alan Freed
Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party (1957) [various artists]

Marvin Gaye
Super Hits*

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Greatest Hits*

Grateful Dead
Live at the Pyramids [Henrik: A joke entry -- I’m not even sure there ever was such an album. The Dead apparently did some concerts at the Pyramids in ‘78, and Marcus writes, “Who knows what it’ll sound like: the concept is staggering.”]

Great Society with Grace Slick
Conspicuous Only in Its Absence (1968)

Al Green
Greatest Hits*
Call Me
The Belle Album

Hackamore Brick
One Kiss Leads to Another (1970)

Wilbert Harrison
Let’s Work Together (1969)

Jimi Hendrix Experience
Are You Experienced
Electric Ladyland
Live at the Monterey International Pop Festival

Justin Hines and the Dominoes
Jezebel (1976)

Buddy Holly
The “Chirping” Crickets
The Complete Buddy Holly*

John Lee Hooker
Detroit Special (1972)*

Howlin’ Wolf
Howlin’ Wolf

Impressions
The Vintage Years*

Elmore James
The Best of Elmore James*

Tommy James and the Shondells
The Best of Tommy James and the Shondells*

Jan and Dean
Legendary Masters*

Elton John
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Kaleidoscope
Side Trips / Beacon from Mars (1967)

Chris Kenner
Land of a Thousand Dances*

Ernie K-Doe
Mother-in-Law (1961)

Carole King
Tapestry

Kinks
The Kinks’ Greatest Hits!*
Something Else by the Kinks

Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV

Jerry Lee Lewis
Ole Tyme Country Music (1956/1970)*
Rockin’ Up a Storm*

Little Richard
Little Richard’s Grooviest 17 Original Hits!*

Lovin’ Spoonful
Do You Believe in Magic

Nick Lowe
Pure Pop for Now People

Barbara Lynn
You’ll Lose a Good Thing (1963)

Lynyrd Skynyrd
Street Survivors

Lonnie Mack
The Wham of That Memphis Man! (1964)

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (1972)

Martha and the Vandellas
Greatest Hits*

Marvelettes
Greatest Hits*

Dave Mason
Alone Together (1970)

John Mayall
Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton

Maytals [Toots and the Maytals]
Monkey Man (1971)
Funky Kingston

Paul McCartney and Wings
Band on the Run

MC5
Back in the USA

Steve Miller Band
Children of the Future (1968)

Miracles [Smokey Robinson and the Miracles]
The Miracles’ Greatest Hits from the Beginning*
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2*

Moby Grape
Moby Grape

Moldy Goldies: Colonel Jubilation B. Johnston and His Mystic Knights Band and Street Singers Attack the Hits (1966) [Marcus describes this as a bizarre album of covers recorded shortly after the Blonde on Blonde sessions, “when producer Bob Johnston and his pals were still glued to the ceiling”]

Van Morrison
Astral Weeks
Moondance
Van the Man [bootleg, 1971]
Tupelo Honey
Saint Dominic’s Preview
“It’s Too Late to Stop Now”
Veedon Fleece
Into the Music

Mother Earth
Living With the Animals / Make a Joyful Noise (1968/1969)

Mothers of Invention
Absolutely Free

The Motown Story [various artists]

Mott the Hoople
Mott

National Lampoon
Radio Dinner (1972)

Ricky Nelson
Legendary Masters*

Aaron Neville
Tell It Like It Is (1967)

New York Dolls
In Too Much Too Soon

Randy Newman
Sail Away

Roy Orbison
All-Time Greatest Hits*

Graham Parker and the Rumour
Howlin Wind / Heat Treatment

Junior Parker
Junior Parker*

Carl Perkins
Original Golden Hits*

Persuasions
Chirpin’ (1977)

Wilson Pickett
The Best of Wilson Pickett*

Elvis Presley
The Sun Sessions*
Good Rocking Tonight* [Sun outtakes]
Elvis’ Golden Records*
Jailhouse Rock [EP] (1957)
Elvis is Back!
Elvis’ Golden Records, Vol. 3*
Elvis [TV Special]
From Elvis in Memphis
A Legendary Performer, Vol. 1*

Put Your Cat Clothes On (1973)* [various artists, Memphis rockabilly]

Otis Redding
Pain in My Heart (1964)
Otis Blue
The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
Live in Europe
The Dock of the Bay

Lou Reed
Street Hassle (1978)

Charlie Rich
The Many New Sides of Charlie Rich (1965)
The Best of Charlie Rich*

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
Rock ‘n’ Roll With the Modern Lovers (1977)

Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
12 x 5
The Rolling Stones, Now!
December’s Children (and Everybody’s)
Aftermath
Between the Buttons
Beggars Banquet
Let It Bleed
LIVE’r Than You’ll Ever Be [live bootleg, 1969]
Exile on Main Street
Some Girls

Ronettes
Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (1964)

Diana Ross and the Supremes
Greatest Hits*

The Roxy London WC2 (Jan.-Apr. ‘77) [early live punk]

Roxy Music
Stranded
Siren

Savage Rose
Your Daily Gift (1971)

Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs (1969)

Jack Scott
Jack Scott*

Sex Pistols
Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols

Del Shannon
The Best of Del Shannon*

Shirelles
Greatest Hits*

Percy Sledge
The Best of Percy Sledge*

Sly and the Family Stone
Greatest Hits*
There’s a Riot Goin’ On

Huey “Piano” Smith
Huey “Piano” Smith’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival!*

Warren Smith
Warren Smith*

Phil Spector
A Christmas Gift for You

Spinners
Best of the Spinners*

Dusty Springfield
Dusty in Memphis

Bruce Springsteen
Darkness on the Edge of Town

Stax-Volt Revue
Live in London (1967)

Steely Dan
Countdown to Ecstasy
Pretzel Logic
Katy Lied

Rod Stewart
Every Picture Tells a Story

Stooges
The Stooges

Swamp Dogg
Total Destruction to Your Mind (1970)

Koko Taylor
Koko Taylor (1970)

Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon
The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon (1957)

Temptations
Anthology*

Them
Here Comes the Night [US version of The Angry Young Them]
Them Again (1966)

Peter Townshend
Who Came First (1972)

Traffic
Traffic

Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm
I’m Tore Up (1976)*

Velvet Underground
Velvet Underground (1970)* [MGM anthology]
Loaded

Gene Vincent
Greatest*

Wailers [Bob Marley and the Wailers]
Catch a Fire
Burnin’
Live!

Muddy Waters
Sail On (1969)*

Who
The Who Sing My Generation
Happy Jack [A Quick One]
The Who Sell Out

Chuck Willis
I Remember Chuck Willis*

Jackie Wilson
Greatest Hits*

Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester (1970)

Johnny Winter
Second Winter (1969)

Wire
Chairs Missing

Stevie Wonder
Greatest Hits (1968)*
Innervisions

X-Ray Spex
Germfree Adolescents

Yardbirds
Shapes of Things (1978)*

Neil Young
Decade*
Tonight’s the Night
Rust Never Sleeps

Youngbloods
The Youngbloods (1967)

Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon

[lukpac]

Who
The Who Sing My Generation
Happy Jack [A Quick One]
The Who Sell Out

One of *those*, I see.

Surprised he didn't include MBB&B.

[Rspaight]

Interesting list. Lots of great records.

"Don't Look Back" doesn't seem to fit, but whatever.

One of *those*, I see.

Yeah, that's sort of a line in the sand.

I find myself sliding more toward those records and away from the 70s stuff the older I get. I'm enough of a fanboy that I still like it all, of course, but the pre-Tommy LPs seem richer as time goes by.

I'm a bit surprised at the lack of MBBB as well, since the 60s singles are arguably their best (or at least most concise and trenchant) work.

Ryan

PS - "Trenchant" is a great rockcrit word.

[lukpac]

"Don't Look Back" doesn't seem to fit, but whatever.

I thought that was odd too.

I find myself sliding more toward those records and away from the 70s stuff the older I get. I'm enough of a fanboy that I still like it all, of course, but the pre-Tommy LPs seem richer as time goes by.

I'm a bit surprised at the lack of MBBB as well, since the 60s singles are arguably their best (or at least most concise and trenchant) work.

I know a lot of people - many UK fans especially - prefer those early records, especially the singles. I...don't know. Call me crazy, but I'm A Boy, Happy Jack and Pictures of Lily were never favorites of mine. Don't get me wrong - I like that early stuff, but I still think Tommy, Leeds and Who's Next are better...

[MK]

Jimmy Guterman is another one of "those" people. He picked MBBB as his Who record for his book, 100 Greatest etc., etc. I think the basic thrust of his argument was, the Who peaked in the 60's, with MBBB collecting, IHO, every great pre-Tommy track except "A Quick One." He then said the only Lp that was start-to-finish great was Who's Next with Tommy and Live at Leeds coming close and called Quadrophenia "half great," then added that the band went slowly downhill after the 60's and lost the map when Keith Moon supposedly gave out (creatively speaking). For his on-line 'update' on his book, he picked the new My Generation DE over MBBB but with no essay or elaboration as to why.

I dunno, Who's Next has ALWAYS been the tops for me, the first one I heard. I don't think it EVER came close to being second for me, even when my appreciation for the other stuff grew. At first, I hated "Pictures of Lily," "Boris the Spider," "Happy Jack," and "A Legal Matter," I thought they were dopey novelty songs, but I really like them now. For some reason I had no sense of humor for that kind of stuff, and I just glossed over that. A song on spiders, or masturbation, or ditching a girl you got preggers? I don't think I was familiar with Pete or John's sense of humor at the time, but seeing/reading their interviews or even Pete's liner notes to MBBB helped me appreciate the joke(s).

[Mike Hunte]

I'm a "Sell Out" man myself.

[lukpac]

I know a lot of people - many UK fans especially - prefer those early records, especially the singles. I...don't know. Call me crazy, but I'm A Boy, Happy Jack and Pictures of Lily were never favorites of mine. Don't get me wrong - I like that early stuff, but I still think Tommy, Leeds and Who's Next are better...

Of course, what have I been listening to lately? Demos of Glow Girl and Rael, Petra Haden Sings TWSO, and TWSO itself.

Glow Girl is such a great song. Twisted as hell, but great nonetheless.

[MK]

I would argue against ANY Boston, but picking Don't Look Back is like picking "Runaway Bride" as a desert island selection - I'd sooner pick "Pretty Woman," but it's horrifying to even SUGGEST "Pretty Woman" alongside "Vertigo," "The Third Man," etc.

Other odd picks:

Beach Boys
Best of Vol. 2 and Party over Pet Sounds

Beatles
crappy, ultra-lo-fi Live! At The Star Club
No Abbey Road

David Bowie
Pin-Ups instead of any other 70's masterwork (only Hunky Dory was picked)

Zappa
Only one, Absolutely Free, instead of Freak Out!, We're In It Only For The Money, Uncle Meat, etc.

Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers? Is that the old Modern Lovers or later one? I'm assuming it's the earlier one, but that title sounds like a release from the later incarnation.

Stones
No Sticky Fingers, but December's Children and the first two American albums made the cut.

Stooges
The first over Fun House

One really cool pick:
Van the Man bootleg. Van's first bootleg, a single Lp, it's since been trumped by excellent copies of the COMPLETE concert on two CD's. One of the best bootlegs ever, and possibly the best Van Morrison concert recording available. I just heard it again and man, I absolutely love this concert.

[CitizenDan]

Keep in mind, "Don't Look Back" was brand new when Marcus wrote that appendix, and as someone who heard what he heard that summer, I can tell you it was a great single. Crap LP, crap band, but that single was a breath of fresh air circa July '78.

I got lots of good tips from that book, his section especially; the Bryan Ferry and Burning Spear LPs come to mind. But I never figured out what was so special about that Hackamore Brick LP.

[CitizenDan]

No Abbey Road

No Sticky Fingers, but December's Children and the first two American albums made the cut.

Marcus is definitely not one to sprinkle hosannas over an artist's entire body of work.

His argument that the Beatles, Who, Beach Boys, and Stones all went to flab after a brief period of spectacular creativity is contentious, but not inaccurate, IMO.

[CitizenDan]

I know a lot of people - many UK fans especially - prefer those early records, especially the singles. I...don't know. Call me crazy, but I'm A Boy, Happy Jack and Pictures of Lily were never favorites of mine. Don't get me wrong - I like that early stuff, but I still think Tommy, Leeds and Who's Next are better...

I'll take their 1965-69 singles (along with Sell Out and My Generation) over their entire subsequent studio output, frankly. Their chops as a live act only got better (peaking circa '71, IMO), but Pete's long journey up his own ass had more cons than pros.

[lukpac]

His argument that the Beatles, Who, Beach Boys, and Stones all went to flab after a brief period of spectacular creativity is contentious, but not inaccurate, IMO.

Like them or not, I don't know how anyone can argue Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, Tommy, Who's Next, Quadrophenia, Pet Sounds and Sticky Fingers aren't creative. I like the Stones debut, don't get me wrong, but it's better/more creative than Sticky Fingers? Live at the Star Club - or even PPM - is better/more creative than Sgt. Pepper or Abbey Road?

I call bull. Especially when Who Came First is there.

[Rspaight]

Abbey Road isn't in the same league with the mid-60s Beatles material. It has its moments, especially on Side Two, but John was lost in a fog of drugs (but still managed to come up with "Come Together," a nonsense ditty that turned out to be a highlight) and Paul was sliding toward 70s mediocrity ("Maxwell's Silver Hammer"?). It was left to George to come up with singles, and he responded with two of his best songs, but it wasn't enough to push the record to the level of the Beatles' best work. Average Beatles is still better than a lot of stuff, Abbey Road is still average Beatles.

I do like it better than Pepper, though. For my money, Pepper's one of their weakest LPs. Historically, yeah, it's a big deal, but there's not much there beyond the audacity. I mean, would you rather listen to "Day Tripper" or "Fixing A Hole"? "Paperback Writer" or "Within You Without You"? "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" or "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite"? Thought so. (I notice Marcus didn't list it, either.)

Same thing with Pet Sounds. Aside from a couple tracks ("Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows"), it's awfully thin next to their earlier work. It's interesting for its production technique and the psychosis on display, but it's not something I'd want to take with me to a desert island.

Ryan

[Mike Hunte]

Like them or not, I don't know how anyone can argue Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, Tommy, Who's Next, Quadrophenia, Pet Sounds and Sticky Fingers aren't creative. I like the Stones debut, don't get me wrong, but it's better/more creative than Sticky Fingers? Live at the Star Club - or even PPM - is better/more creative than Sgt. Pepper or Abbey Road?

I call bull. Especially when Who Came First is there.

This seems to be a common theme among rock journalists who make up these lists. Dave Marsh pretty much takes the same attitude. E.G. - the Beach Boys never made another decent album after "All Summer Long."

[Rspaight]

I call bull. Especially when Who Came First is there.

Yeah, that's a strange one. It's interesting, but I'd rather listen to Rough Mix any day.

Live at the Star Club - or even PPM - is better/more creative than Sgt. Pepper or Abbey Road?

You could argue that they're more exciting, which seems to be a common thread in Marcus' picks.

Ryan